Everyone agrees that the Columbia Festival of the Arts has changed.
Once a local, grass-roots effort, the festival has steadily grown since it began in 1988. High-profile acts have helped lure larger crowds, securing the festival's place as one of the region's most-anticipated summer events.
With this year's festival, organizers are working to bring in more international acts in hopes of drawing more visitors from around the country. But the ambitious plans have met with criticism from some who think that the festival has abandoned those groups that helped it grow: local arts organizations.
"They should stop calling it the Columbia arts festival, because it's not anymore," said Maurice Feldman, president of the Columbia Concert Band. "If they want to have an arts festival, they should call it an international arts festival, and we will support it as patrons."
Representatives of some local arts organizations declined to speak about the festival publicly for fear of being excluded from future events. But privately, they express concerns over the direction they believe the event is heading and complain that while the festival offers partnerships with local groups, officials often require that the groups contribute large amounts of money they can ill afford.
"One of its original missions was to encourage, support and involve local arts organizations," said Padraic M. Kennedy, former president of the festival's board. "I feel that they are not communicating with or seeking to involve local organizations."
Festival organizers view the situation differently. Katherine Knowles, the festival's executive director, said board members have established a goal of making the event a "major regional arts festival."
"We realize that we can't be all things to all people," said Knowles, who pointed out that several performances by local dance troupes and others were included in last year's festival. "We want to serve Howard County, but we also want to draw people from the region."
Attendance last year was estimated at more than 30,000, and the festival boasted such high-profile acts as Marcel Marceau and Emmylou Harris.
Festival organizers said several visitors from the Midwest attended the festival, as did many from Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
Because of budget constraints, Knowles said, organizers have decided to invest money in one big project with an organization rather than give smaller amounts to several groups to sponsor programs.
